The Goblin Market
by cut-out-of-the-sun
Summary: A transformation of the text 'The Goblin Market' into a short story in the style Dracula was written. When Laura falls ill and starts showing strange symptoms Lizzie knows the only thing she can do is risk her life to visit the dreaded Goblin Market.


**Another creative piece I had to write for coursework. It is a transformation of the poem The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti into a gothic horror, based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. **

**Disclaimer : I do not own The Goblin Market or Dracula**

Christina Rossetti - The Goblin Market transformation

Lizzie Hainsworth's Journal

_13__th__ March, Early evening._

Laura expressed her desire to go the Goblin Market by Van Camaztoz's mansion up on Cressfire hill again today. I must admit that place scares me, especially after Nathaniel told me that he had heard a women's screams coming from there on his way home from the tavern, although knowing Nathaniel it was probably just one of his drunken antics. She was rather insistent that we go tomorrow, I'm unsure as to why this place fascinates her so. We had both heard father's stories about the winged creatures that frequented there, they'd definitely been enough for me to avoid ever going to that place. I cannot let her venture off alone though, as this is surely what she'll do if I do not take her. Maybe I should remind her of what father used to say.

_13__th__ March. Late evening._

Well that was an exceedingly unsuccessful attempt. I told her how the creatures were in league with the devil, hence those horrid horn like things protruding from their skulls, and how they only wanted young girls to turn them into strange beings, much like those that were believed to be their masters, to be their slaves and for them to give up their virtuousness, and in order to do that they had to bite and rip and tear at your skin until they had reached your veins and could inject this 'virus' directly into your bloodstream, causing your canines to grow into sharp, pointed fangs and the blood to seep into your eyes, turning them a dark crimson, with pale skin, such pale skin, with a beauty so enticing that anyone who lays eyes upon you will succumb to your commands and blood thirst, that never ending thirst that turns most crazy, cursing the winds and praying for the release of death that will never come, for it is claimed that they are beings of immortality. My father once claimed that he once saw such a creature, walking down from Van Camaztoz's, he said she was more exquisite than anything he had ever seen, with flowing ebony hair that seemingly glistened in the moonlight framing a face of such delicacy and magnificence that it looked as if it belonged to a porcelain doll. I recall him saying something about her velvet gown being blood soaked, but I think he was simply exaggerating to make his story seem more dramatic. This seemed to have no effect upon Laura though, in fact I think I merely spurred her on more, this is hopeless but maybe if we avoid temptation then we'll be all right.

_15__th__ March. Afternoon. _

Dear gods protect my soul, my sanity. How could I have been so foolish as to believe young Laura would be able to withhold from such temptation produced by those things, whatever manner of creature they truly are. Thank the heavens there seems to be no damage to her innocence, but I have failed father. I promised him that I'd never allow her to know fear, but I fled and left her there, afraid for my own being more so than hers. A terror so strong gripped my senses and would not let go, blinding everything around me, even my love for Laura. I fell her slip away but I dared not glance as I could feel such enticement pulling me. She would not tell me what had happened in my absence, but I fear she encountered the toxic pull of the forbidden and tasted the sweet desire that is the enchanted pachi fruit. We sat and talked by the fire that night about all the things we miss, the morning meals with our parents, the way they used to tease each other in such a loving way, the way they'd embrace us each time we ventured away from our home. Laura mentioned she often dreamed that they were still alive and the blaze had never consumed the barn in which they had slept. I must have fallen asleep as I had visions of such things and my elation was barely containable. I awoke with such a hollow feeling and a sadness so strong it nearly reduced me to tears.

_15__th__ March. Late evening. Possibly just after one o'clock._

I awoke with a start to the sound of Laura crying and shaking violently like she was in such pain, with beads of sweat peppering her brow. It must have been around midnight because I remember the harsh moonlight filling the room, at the peak of its rotation. I attempted to wake her but nothing I did seemed to help all I could do was sit and hold her, praying the convulsions would stop. Then just as suddenly as it had started she fell limp and her breathing became quiet once more, so I gently lay her back on her side of the bed and pulled the covers round her. I could have sworn that for the briefest of moments when her eyes flickered open that they were a vibrant red and the skin on her face became so translucent that I could see the cerulean of her veins. But when I lifted her eyelids to check they were back to her normal emerald eyes, I must have imagined it after all this talk of the goblin's masters.

_16__th__ March. Afternoon. _

Laura awoke this morning with no sign of last night's spasms. It was the most unusual thing, and when I asked dear Laura about it she could remember nothing of it, just had memories of a rather curious dream.

_20th March. Late morning._Nathaniel met me at the cemetery, looking more handsome than ever, and relayed to me the news of Jeanie, whom he had been sweet on, much to my chagrin, she was a lovely girl though. I had been visiting my parent's graves as I have once a week ever since their death to lay fresh flowers down, and tell to them any recent goings on of the town, when I noticed a teary-eyed Nathaniel a few headstones beside me. He glanced up as if he felt my gaze and started toward me.'Jeanie is dead and I fear it may be my fault.' This he said in a whisper so quiet I had to lean right forwards so that our cheeks were nearly touching. I am glad that his eyes were downward or he would have seen the blush that stained my cheeks.'What happened?' I asked, shocked that he could say such a thing. 'I took her to the Goblin Market. We thought the rumours about it had just been stories made up by parents to scare their children, but when we got there we realised that there was some element of truth to it. There was such a pull towards the fruit, one so strong it felt as if there was actually someone pushing me from behind, but somehow I managed to resist it. Although everything that happened was somewhat of a blur, but I remember seeing Jeanie bite into one of the fruits, but thought nothing of it, I mean what can fruit really do but sate a hunger?'Here he fell quiet for such a while that I began to wonder if he had forgotten that he was speaking to me but suddenly he began again, quieter than before.'There were no signs of it for a few days, then her condition seemed to worsen. Then she just disappeared. I hadn't heard from her in a few days so I decided I would visit. No-one answered the door at first, and so I knocked again. The door then creaked open a little, enough for me to slip in, then slammed shut behind me. The windows had been entirely blacked out and I could barely see, I could just about make out a figure in the corner. Then it began to cry, whispering over and over that I shouldn't have come, she didn't want to hurt anyone, she didn't want to hurt me. I called out for her, saying that she could never hurt me, I even said I loved her, something I had never said before. It only made her cry harder, she started yelling at me that it was my fault, that I was the reason she was in this state and that she could never love someone like me, a mere farmer's son. I was so shocked that I stormed out of that house and didn't look back. And now. I should have known that something more was wrong, I should have known that she would never have yelled at me like that if she wasn't trying to protect me. Lilith found her.'After seeing my look of confusion at the name he elaborated.'The new woman staying at Van Camaztoz's. She said she'd come to invite Jeanie to a dinner party they were having, but she was already dead. Lilith muttered something about the goblins being late with their message delivery, but i wasn't really listening. It must have been that fruit, that is the only thing it could have been.' He broke down then, obviously unable to continue. I reached over a squeezed his hand, wishing I could comfort him more with a hug or perhaps even a kiss, but that would have been disrespectful. He gave me a weak smile before turning back to her grave. I left him leaning over her grave, his body wracking with violent sobs. Coldness spread through my heart as I thought of Laura and what Nathaniel had said.

_Letter, Elizabeth J. Hainsworth to Dr. Richard H. Parrish._'Dear Sir, _20th March_ 'I write to you to beg for a visit for my sister, Laura, from you. She is in a terrible state and I fear that I do not know what ails her, though I am somewhat practiced in the art of medicine. I am told that you are the expert on the unknown, although typically foreign illnesses, but this is something I have never come across before and the symptoms are rather unusual. Her symptoms involve a reddening of the eyes, a blistering of the skin when it comes in contact with the sun and her teeth seem to be growing in length, as I do not know what it is I am unsure of how to treat her accordingly. I understand that you are a busy man of the academic world and I am prepared to pay a great sum of money for an audience with you.

Faithfully yours,

'ELIZABETH J. HAINSWORTH'_Telegram from Dr. Richard H. Parrish to Elizabeth J. Hainsworth_

_21st March_

'I shall visit on the eve of the 22nd. I fear I know what is wrong but will wait until I've seen her to diagnose. Wire me if develops further.'

_Letter, Elizabeth J. Hainsworth to Nathaniel R. Morris_

'My dearest Nathaniel, _22__nd__ March_

'I write to you in a grave state. I fear whatever it was that resulted in the death of your beloved Jeanie has now gripped my Laura and there is no-one else I know that I can talk to that knows what I am going through. I did not mention this to you before as I did want to deepen your grief any further but a week ago today me and Laura visited the Goblin Market, and now she suffers from an illness which Dr Parrish calls Porphyria, but I suspect that he thinks it is truly something much more than that, as do I. She is like a woman possessed, much like the way you described Jeanie to be, and the only thing I can think of that they have in common is that wretched fruit. Just this morning she came out with the most shocking statements, she said 'I'm scared to death of light and noises, the stillness of the blackest nights awaken my soul and make me feel so alive.' Did Jeanie ever express such a desire as to be awake in the night due its effect upon her liveliness?

I would be grateful if you would sit with me tonight, she locks herself in her room at night and will not let me enter and I do not wish to be alone yet again, as the screams from within the room get worse with each night in passing.

'Yours, as ever and always,

'LIZZIE'

Laura Hainsworth's journal

_24__th__ March. Late evening._

It's all over. That dreaded nightmare. Last night Lizzie promised me that she would travel to the Goblin Market to try and bargain with those horrid creatures to get some pachi fruit so that I would have to suffer no longer. I don't really remember much whilst she was away, just the fact that I was delirious and my whole body felt like it had been set ablaze. The next thing I knew she came bursting through the door, blood dripping from deep gashes on her neck, legs and arms. She was covered in the bright lime green juice of the pachi juice, and as I looked closer I realised that the colour stained her ruby lips. I leapt forward and screamed at her:

'Did you eat the tainted fruit? Please tell me you did not risk yourself for me, I could not bear it if you died in an attempt to save me.'

Lizzie rushed forward and outstretched her arm, 'No, no I did not let any slip in my mouth. They rejected the coins I took for them, and so they leapt on me, ripping and tearing at me with their teeth, but that does not matter at the moment Laura.' Her arm jutted in front of my face, I yearned to experience the fresh juice that covered her arm. 'Drink. Suck at my skin, fulfil your thirst my sweet Laura, it does not matter to me, I only wish that you are well once more, I cannot bear to see you in such pain, please Laura.'

I did not need any further encouragement than that, I leant forwards and latched my lips onto her succulent wrist, moaning as the liquid burned my parched mouth. The last thing I remember is Lizzie gently whispering to me in a soothing tone and brushing the sweat covered hair away from my fringe and I felt darkness overcome my senses and pull me into unconsciousness.

Lizzie Hainsworth's journal.

_25__th__ March. Late morning._

As I opened my eyes I stared in wonder as I realised how alive everything was! The vibrant colours of the items of the room encircled my vision and seemingly emanated such glorious radiance when the glistening moonlight bounced of them. I leant forward and glanced in the mirror, I realise how odd it is now that I could see perfectly in the darkness, I thought it but a dream. I stared in wonder at my face which has seemingly transformed overnight, my eyes were a dark reddish shade, my skin was so ashen, and my lips looked bee stung and scarlet, barely covering sharp pointed fangs. There a strange beauty about it all, I almost seemed to be glowing. I turned to glance at my sister and started, I could see the blood pumping through her veins, sliding slowly up her throat in a terribly enticing manner. My teeth seemed to tighten at the sight of this and I longed to sink my teeth into her peachy flesh and taste her sweet, opulent, crimson blood. I gave a sharp intake of breath when the realisation gripped me. I tremble even as I write this now. I knew in that moment what I was and there was no going back from being this thing, this thing I despised the thing I feared, the thing that took Jeanie and nearly my dear sister. A creature of the night. The word escaped my lips as a whisper. Vampire.


End file.
